Somewhere around 1830, a ship sailed from England to New York carrying very precious cargo… my Kyte ancestors! 🙂  Mr. and Mrs. Kyte, along with several of their kids, came to New York and settled around Geneva, New York.  My great great Grandfather was one of those kids, who according to story, was born a few days before they docked.  I’m trying to find out his parents’ names, why they came, and where in England they came from.  Sounds easy enough, right?  Wrong!  New York didn’t start keeping track of most records until 1880!  There are many family trees of Kyte’s in England, and many in New York…but finding the missing link to connect the two has proven to be more difficult than I realized.

I thought my England side was going to be a breeze…I don’t know why…maybe because the records would be in English??!  After all, I was able to trace my Swedish side without any Swedish speaking abilities whatsoever!  How hard could England be! “I’ve got this, right?!” That was what I said two years ago, and I’m still trying to find them!! “It’s blooming awful!!”  is what I’m saying now…that’s my English side coming out! 😉  “I think I shall go have tea!”

So, this past week I have put on my Ancestry “detective cap”, and have gotten to work trying to find clues to the past!  As frustrating as it can be to hit so many “brick walls” in my searching, I actually do LOVE the search!!  When I actually find something important, it’s like I’ve found gold!!  My tools include some aging photos from an old Kyte album to work with, a few Census records from 1850 on, a million subscriptions to ancestry websites, and family stories that have been passed down to me.  Don’t think I’m weird or anything…but now my bedroom wall looks like this…I know, I know…I’ve got some crazy awesome decorating skills, don’t I?  My husband gets to climb out of bed each morning to see my great great grandpa staring him down! 😉  I told Mike, “It’s just temporary!  I promise!”  (I hope!) Sorry Hubby…have I told you lately how wonderful you are?!

But today, you will all be relieved to know that I think I may have finally tracked down the old Episcopal church in New York where many of them were born, married, died…and thank God, the churches back then kept records!!!  They are going to search the church books for me and let me know what they find out!  I won’t lie…I’m really praying they find the information I am looking for!!  It’s funny though…this church needs to have my request in writing with my official signature on it…so I have to actually stamp and mail it!!  Snail mail means only one thing…I have to wait LONGER!  It’s a good think I’m so patient…;)  Have you read my blog on waiting?? 🙂

On Saturday, I’m heading to my Aunt Barbara’s house to look again at some old photos and such.  She is our family historian, and has done such a wonderful job over the years hanging onto all the photos and stories and documents! Here is a picture of us just two Easters ago…while the rest of the family was socializing and eating appetizers, you know, doing normal stuff on Easter…she and I were looking through old albums and family Bibles looking for more clues! 😉  My Mom was helping snap photos of… photos for us…something else weird we do.  So she snapped this one of us as well!  (Thanks Mom!!)

As I was just writing the previous paragraph in this blog today, I had to pause for a call from New York…there may be a lead on a much needed cemetery record in Penn Yan, New York!!  “Oh boy!  Oh boy!  A cemetery record…is there anything more exciting?!”

I know it…you don’t have to say it.  I already know it. 🙂

Here’s a sweet thought though…searching for God is much easier than ancestry searching!  He’s like finding gold EVERY day!!  “You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all of your heart.”  Jeremiah 29:13  Seeking out clues about Him is way more exciting and beyond fulfilling!!  Have a blessed day!